Expanded metal catwalk



Sept. 14, 1943. c. c. PENNINGTON EXPANDED METAL CAIWALK Filed Oct. 3, 1942 Patented Sept. 14, 1943 EXPANDED METAL CATWALK Clifford C. Pennington, Oak Park, 111.. assignor to United States Gypsum Company. Chicago, 111.,

a corporation of Illinois Application October 3, 1942, Serial No. 460,718 I 17 Claims.

This invention relates to tread constructions and has particular reference to an improved open mesh metal tread assembly, which assembly is light in weight, economical to manufacture and comprises a minimum number of parts, and provides an exceptionally strong structure.

The present invention is adapted to be used whereever a tread surface is required, such as in catwalks, walkways, platforms, or running boards on freight cars, ship decks, and the like.

Expanded metal for a tread surface has heretofore'been proposed, and such expanded metal has been supported by a rigid metal framework.

The present invention comprises an improvement over such prior constructions.

It is an object of this invention to provide a tread construction wherein reinforced expanded metal units may separately be fabricated and thereafter applied and ailixed to previously installed spaced tread-supporting beams or the like, so that the overall height of the structure is never increased more than'the thickness of a sheet of expanded metal.

It is an additional object to provide an extremely light-weight tread of simple construction having maximum strength relative to weight and wherein this strength is substantially uniformly distributed throughout the extent of the tread surface.

For purposes of illustration, the accompanying drawing discloses an embodiment of the invention including a well-known type of long bond expanded metal. Of course, any suitable type of comparable expanded metal or similar material may be used; however, so-called long bond mesh is preferred.

Further objects will be apparent from the specification and the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of one embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on line 2--2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3. is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially on line 1-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view through one longitudinal edge of the tread of an embodiment wherein a so-called pencil rod or the like is used to reinforce the exposed edge of the expanded metal and to provide additional non-skid characteristics at the edge of the catwalk.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 4 but illustrates the use of a flange on the supporting beam for protecting the raw longitudinal edge of the expanded metal.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the embodiment illustrated comprises a sheet of expanded metal ,I, which, in the present instance, is so-called long bond expanded metal, that is, the sheet is formed with relatively long bonds 2 and shorter connecting strands 3. This sheet or strip of expanded metal is ordinarily of a length materially greater than its breadth, but may be of other sizes and proportions as required.

Secured to the undersurface of the sheet of expanded metal and intermediate the side edges thereof are a plurality of spaced, parallel, transversely disposed reinforcing bars 4. These reinforcing bars are preferably in the form of fiat steel members of substantially rectangular cross section, as shown in Fig. 3, and disposed on edge with their upper edges secured to the undersurface of the expanded metal I. The bars 4 are preferably secured to the expanded metal as by welding to a transversely aligned series of bonds as shown at 4a in Fig. 2. The bars terminate short of the longitudinal edges of the expanded metal, thereby leaving side portions 5 and 6 of the sheet without reinforcement so that these side edges of the expanded metal may rest directly on. suitable previously installed spaced beams.

That is, the beams may be a permanent part of.

some structure such as a car roof.

Sheets or strips of expanded metal of required widths and spaced transversely disposed reinforcing members welded to the undersurface' as previously described, may be manufactured and stored as articles of commerce and are ready for instant use whenever required.

The reinforced expanded metal sheets are adapted to be supported upon longitudinally extending support members 1 and 8, which members in the embodiment illustrated comprise I-beam's on a car roof 9. The unreinforced side edges of the expanded metal overhang the bars 1 and 8 to which they may be secured as by welding or other suitable means. With this arrangement, the transverse bars 4, which are of a length less than the width of the sheet of expanded metal and terminate closely adjacent the beams l and 8, are suspended therebetween.

It will be apparent that with the construction shown and described in detail herein, the bonds 2 and the strands therebetween are effectively reinforced, and the strands and bonds between the transverse members 4 will not readily yield to forces tending to deflect the tread surface. Likewise, stresses applied from any direction will, by

virtue of these transverse reinforcing bars, be

2 more uniformly distributed throughout the width of the expanded metal tread.

In the embodiment herein disclosed, the tread of expanded metal so that each bar and adjacent expanded metal form is the equivalent of a transverse T-beam'. The expanded metal issaidciently heavy and strong, so that the entire structure becomes comparatively rigid when the edge portions .5 and t of the sheet, which edges are'not reinforced, are supported on and secured to the supporting beams.

The fact that the cross bars 4 terminate short of the edges of the expanded metal enables the ,top surface of the tread to remain in the same plane irrespective of the depth of the beams I and 8; that is, the top surfaces of the beams I and 8 may be positioned. to conform with predetermined specifications; for instance, a stand: ard height for freight cars, and with the present invention, this standard height will never be increased more than the thickness of a sheet of expanded metal. This is true, irrespective ,of the cross sectional height of the beams. This is an important feature as. it enables the building of freight cars or other structures to maximum height specifications with the assurance that the overall height will not be increased more thanthe thickness of a sheet of expanded metal. The reinforcement of the expanded metal terminates so close to the supportingbeams that there is no apparent bending or shearingstress. Welding the cross bars 4 to the expanded metal takes advantage of the considerable increase in loadbearing strength due to the T-beam characteristics of the transverse structure.-

' Another important feature of the embodiment shown is that each end of a reinforcement bar 4 terminates coincident with a bond 2 to which it is securely welded, The intermediate bonds may, of course, be welded to the bar. In fact, it is preferable to weld all of an aligned series of bonds to the bar. so that they are integral therewhich a supporting surface Ila is provided for the margin of the tread and an upwardly extending flange Ii is provided for protecting and reinforcing the raw edges of the tread and for providing a non-skid edge. The expanded metal may be welded to the surface I21; and, if desired,

the raw edges may also be welded to the flange I I.

It is intended, of course, that the invention should not lac-limited to the specific embodiment or embodiments disclosed herein, since modifications may be made, and it is contemplated, therefore, by. the appended claims to cover any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a railway car roof structure having, as a substantially integral part thereof, two spaced parallel beams each beam having a comparatively wide upper surface, a sheet of expanded metal snugly overlapping said surfaces and extending therebetween with bonds extending transversely with respect to said beams, and reinforcing bars secured to the underside of said expanded metal sheet between said beams and extending transversely with respect to the latter, the novel features consisting in the facts (a) that an aligned series of bonds is closely adjacent the inner edge of each beam, and (b) that each reinforcing bar is welded to an aligned series of bonds transverse to said first-mentioned series and is supported solely by said expanded metal sheet, and (c) that each end of said bar terminates closely adjacent a beam and coincident with a; bond to which said bar is welded.

2. An open mesh expanded metal tread con struction for walkways, catwalks and the like, comprising a sheet of expanded metal, a plurality of elongated reinforcing bars secured to one surface of said expanded metal sheet, said bars terminating short of each of two oppositeedges of said sheet, so that said sheet may be ,1 supported on spaced support members extending with and the bar and adjacent expanded metal functions in the manner of a T-beam in so far as strength characteristics are concerned.

Fig. 4 illustrates an embodiment which may, in all respects, be similar to that previously described, with the exception that a so-called pen-- 011 bar or the like II is welded to each exposed a raw edge of the expanded metal I. The ban or rod l0 may be of any suitable type and is preferably welded to the exposed ends of the webs of the expanded metal. This bar is particularly advantageous, in that it not only provides a reinforcement for-the raw-edges'of the expanded""' metal, but also provides non-skid characteristics adjacent the edge. It will be seen from the drawing that the longitudinal edges of the long bond expanded metal are formed entirely by the cut endsofthebonds andthebarorrod "secured thereto provides a very effective reinforcement.

Fig. 5 is very similar to Fig. 4, but illustrates a flange II on each longitudinal supporting beam it, which beam corresponds to the beams 'I and! previously described. The-beam I2 is shown as an f-beam, however it will beunderstood that. any suitable supporting member may be used in substantially parallel to said opposite edges, with said reinforcing bars depending between said support members and terminating closely adjacent thereto.

3. An open mesh expanded metal tread construction for walkways, catwalks and the like, comprising a sheet of expanded metal having strands and bonds, a plurality of spaced flat reinforcing bars of substantially rectangular cross section each disposed on edge and with one edge secured to an aligned series ,of said bonds, said reinforcing bars terminating short of each of two opposite edges of said sheet of expanded metal whereby the unreinforced edge portions of said sheet may be supported upon and secured to spaced support members extending substantially parallel to said opposite edges, with said reinforcing bars depending between said support members and terminating 'closely' adiacent thereto.

4. A reinforced open mesh metal tread construction comprising spaced substantially parallel support members, a sheet of expanded metal having two opposite edge portions overlapping said support members and secured thereto, and tread reinforcing members disposed between said I support members and extending at an angle thereto, said reinforcing memberstterminating short of said support members and being secured stantially parallel beams forming an integral part of a supporting structure, a sheet of expanded metal having two opposite edge portions rigidly secured flat on the upper surfaces of said beams, and a plurality of reinforcing bars welded to the undersurface of the sheet of expanded metal and extending at an angle to said beams, aid reinforcing bars terminating closely adjacent said beams but unattached thereto.

6. A tread construction comprising spaced substantially parallel support members, a sheet of expanded metal having two opposite edge portions overlapping the upper surfaces of said support members and having bonds extending transversely with respect to said support members in lengthwise alignment with each other in a plurality of parallel series, and a plurality of elongated reinforcing members extending at least substantially entirely across the space between said support members but unattached to the latter and each having its upper surface in con-- tact with and welded to the lower surfaces of the bonds of one of said series.

7. In a catwalk an open mesh tread construction comprising spaced tread supporting beams,

a sheet of open mesh tread material disposed over said beams and rigidly secured to the upper surface thereof, and a plurality of spaced sheet reinforcing members welded to the undersurface of said sheet and supported thereby independently of said beams, said spaced reinforcing members being disposed at an angle to said beams and terminating closely adjacent thereto.

8. The structure of claim 2 characterized by each of said opposite edges of said expanded metal sheet having an elongated rod. welded thereto to provide a reinforced non-skid tread edge.

9. The structure of claim 2 characterized by each of said support members having an upwardly extending shoulder overlapping the adjacent edge of said expanded metal sheet, said shoulder being substantially flush with the upper surface of said expanded metal sheet.

10. A tread construction comprising spaced substantially parallel support members, a sheet of long bond expanded metal having two opposite edge portions overlapping the upper surfaces of said support members and having its long bonds extending transversely with respect to said support members in lengthwise alignment with each other in a plurality of parallel series, and a plurality of elongated reinforcing members extending at least substantially entirely across the space between said support members but unattached to the latter and each having its upper surface in contact with and welded to the lower surfaces of the long bonds of one of said series.

11. An open mesh metal tread construction comprising spaced substantially parallel support members, a sheet of expanded metal having two opposite edge portions overlapping said support members, said sheet having its bonds disposed in alignment with each other in a plurality of parallel series extending transversely with respect to said support members, and a plurality of elongated reinforcing bars extending at least substantially entirely across the space between said support members but unattached thereto, each having its'upper surface welded to the undersurface of said expanded metal sheet, said reinforcing bars serving to reinforce said sheet substantially only across said space between said support members.

12. An open mesh metal tread construction comprising spaced substantially parallel support members, a sheet of expanded metal having two opposite edge portions overlapping said support members, said sheet having its bonds disposed in alignment with each other in a plurality of parallel series extending transversely with respect to said support members, and a plurality of elongated reinforcing bars extending at least substantially entirely across the space between said support members but unattached thereto, each having its upper surface welded to the undersurfaces of the bonds of one of said series, said reinforcing bars serving to reinforce said expanded metal sheet substantially only across the open space between said support members.

13. An open mesh metal tread construction comprising a pair of spaced substantially parallel support members of relatively great length as compared with the width of the space therebetween and constituting longitudinal edge supports for an elongated walkway structure, a sheet of expanded metal having two opposite edge portions overlapping said support members and an intermediate portion extending across the space between said support members, said sheet having its bonds disposed in alignment with each other in a plurality of parallel series extending transversely with respect to said walkway, and

a plurality of elongated reinforcing bars extend ing transversely of said walkway and at least substantially entirely across the space between said support members but unattached thereto and each having its upper surface welded to the undersurface of said expanded metal sheet, said reinforcing bars serving to reinforce said sheet substantially only across the intermediate portion thereof between said support members.

14. An open mesh metal tread construction comprising a sheet of expanded metal of relatively long and narrow form, said sheet having its bonds disposed in lengthwise alignment with each other in a plurality of parallel series extending at substantially right angles to the longitudinal edges of said sheet, and a plurality of elongated reinforcing bars for the middle longitudinal portion of said sheet and extending at least substantially entirely across said middle portion, each bar having its upper surface welded to the undersurfaces of the bonds of one of said series so that said sheet may be supported by substantially parallel support members so spaced as to be overlapped by the longitudinal edge portions of said sheet, with said reinforcing bars serving to reinforce said sheet substantially only across the open space between said support members, but unattached to the latter.

15. A tread construction comprising spaced substantially parallel support members, a sheet of expanded metal having two opposite edge portions overlapping the upper surfaces of said support members, and a plurality of elongated reinforcing bars extending at least substantially entirely across the space between said support members and below the plane of the upper surfaces thereof, each bar having its upper surface in contact with and welded to the undersurface of said expanded metal sheet, the portion of each of said bars which extends below the plane of the upper surfaces of said support members being unattached to the latter.

16. An open mesh metal tread construction comprising a sheet of expanded metal adapted comprising a sheet 4- to be supported at two opposite edge portions, and a plurality of elongated reinforcing bars for said sheet extending at least substantially entirely across the space between said edge portions, each bar having its upper surface welded v, to the undersurface of said expanded metal sheet tudinal edges of said as, to be said support members and so that when said sheet is 50 supported by said supp rt members, portions of said reinforcing bars intermediate said support members will extend below the plane of the upper surfaces of said support members but the portion of any of said bars which extends below said plane will be unattached to said sup- Port members.

17. An open mesh metal tread construction of expanded metal of relatively long and narrow form, said sheet having its bonds disposed in lengthwise alignment with each other in a plurality of parallel series extending at substantially right angles to the 101181- elongated reinforcing bars for the middle longitudinal portion-of said sheet and extending at least substantially entirely across said middle portion, each bar having its upper surface welded to the undersurfaces of the bonds of one of said series so that, said sheet may be supported by substantially parallel support members so spaced overlapped by the longitudinal edge portions of said sheet, with said reinforcing bars servingto reinforce said sheet substantially only acrdss the open space between said support members, and so that when said sheet is so supported by said" support members, portions of said reiniorcing bars intermediate said support members will extend below the plane of the upper surfaces of said support members but the portion of any i said bars which extends below said plane 11 be unattached to'said suppqrtmembers.

CLIFFORD C. PENNINGTON.

sheet, and a plurality of 

